KW specialty Insurance Company
Carrier website links, underwriting access points, mapped product lines, and appetite notes in one place.
This appetite summary is only a guide. Confirm eligibility, submission requirements, restrictions, and binding authority directly with the carrier or underwriter before relying on it.
Carrier appetite summary
KW Specialty Insurance Company writes non-admitted/surplus lines homeowners and related property business, distributed exclusively through select wholesale/program partners using the KWiQ online portal. All business is written on KW Specialty paper on a non-admitted basis; there is no direct retail or admitted market offering. Preferred / Target Business - Homes and condos that qualify for the non-admitted market, show pride of ownership, and are well maintained with appropriate risk mitigation.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - California Homeowners program supports HO-3 (1–4 family dwellings) and HO-6 (condos, 1 family) with broad dwelling types including detached, semi-detached, townhome/row home, accessory dwelling units, tiny homes, yurts, shipping container homes, pole-barn conversions/barndominiums, straw bale homes, geodesic dome homes, prefabricated, manufactured homes, and stand‑alone structures, subject to TIV limits.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Acceptable occupancies for HO-3 include owner-occupied, rental, seasonal, short‑term rental, and owner-occupied with roomers/boarders.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Ownership can include individuals, contract for deed, life estate, joint ownership, LLCs, trusts, and corporations (HO-3).([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Construction accepted: frame, masonry, masonry veneer, log, post and beam, concrete, and metal.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Program is suitable for varied, complex, or unusual residential structures and supported housing strategies (cohousing, micro units, off‑grid, micro‑farms, vacation rentals, home businesses) where risk is well maintained and mitigated.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) Key Limits (CA Homeowners guide) - TIV limits by dwelling type, examples: detached/semi-detached/townhome up to $1,500,000 HO‑3 and $500,000 HO‑6; ADUs up to $1,000,000; tiny homes and yurts up to $200,000; shipping container and barndominium up to $400,000; straw bale homes up to $1,500,000; geodesic dome up to $700,000; prefabricated up to $1,500,000; manufactured homes up to $250,000; stand‑alone structures up to $400,000. All homes must be insured to 100% of reconstruction cost and overall TIV generally cannot exceed $1,500,000.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) Wildfire / Brush & Cat Management - Detailed wildfire eligibility standards apply for risks in moderate, high, or very high wildfire score areas, focusing on defensible space within 5 feet of structures, elimination of combustible materials (mulch, pine needles, firewood, dry vegetation), tree/branch clearance, removal of junipers near structures, and keeping areas under decks free of combustibles. - Noncombustible ground surfaces are expected immediately around structures; grass near walls must be irrigated and kept short where specified.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Catastrophe Management: KW may impose temporary binding restrictions company‑wide during cat events; during these suspensions, no new business or exposure‑increasing endorsements may be bound until restrictions are lifted.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Exposure Management: KW may restrict binding authority in specific geographic regions based on concentration and exposure management; no new business can be bound in restricted zones until lifted.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) General Underwriting Rules & Acceptability - Policy term: 12 months. Endorsements rating: pro‑rata, subject to minimum earned premium. Company‑ or insured‑requested cancellations are pro‑rata.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Renewals are not automatic; they must be triggered by a user/agent in the portal, allowing KW to manage exposure and appetite at renewal.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Protection class: ISO protection class codes used for rating.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Maintenance expectations: dwellings and other structures must be in good repair (roof, gutters, siding, porches, foundation, windows, chimneys). Decks/porches/patios/steps >3 ft above ground must be securely railed; paved surfaces must be maintained without trip hazards; premises must be free of debris and inoperable vehicles; tree limbs cannot touch the roof or siding.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Number of units: up to 4 units acceptable under HO‑3.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) Restricted / Declined Risks (partial list from CA Homeowners guide) - Ineligible applicants include those convicted of arson or insurance fraud. Additional ineligible classes and detailed prohibited conditions are listed in the full underwriting guide and may include severely unmaintained properties, unacceptable protection class or wildfire risk where defensible space standards cannot be met, or occupancy/usage types outside program parameters. Front‑line wholesale underwriters are expected to adhere to detailed ineligible‑risk lists and to decline any risk outside filed program guidelines.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) Geographic Notes - Company is domiciled in Delaware and operates as an eligible surplus lines carrier in 49 states, using a wholesale‑agent program model and proprietary software.([insurance.delaware.gov](https://insurance.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2025/06/KWSpecialtyInsuranceCompany2023web.pdf?utm_source=openai)) - The Homeowners program began as a non‑admitted California homeowners program in 2020 and has since expanded to additional states; manufactured home program is national via a single wholesale agent. Appetite and eligibility remain subject to state availability and company exposure management; agents should confirm state-specific status before quoting.([insurance.delaware.gov](https://insurance.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2025/06/KWSpecialtyInsuranceCompany2023web.pdf?utm_source=openai)) Submission / Producer Requirements - Distribution is through a select group of contracted wholesale agents; KW positions these wholesalers as front‑line underwriters with delegated authority to manage their books within KW guidelines. Agents are expected to use the KWiQ online portal for rating, quoting, and issuing, and to manage renewals and exposure in collaboration with KW.([kwspecialty.com](https://kwspecialty.com/?utm_source=openai)) - Business must qualify for surplus lines (e.g., declinations from admitted markets or other state surplus lines requirements) and is subject to non‑admitted taxes and fees as applicable. - KW may impose binding suspensions by geography or catastrophe event; producers must check portal or communications before binding, and no exposure‑increasing endorsements are allowed during suspensions.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) Broker / Producer Notes - KW emphasizes collaboration with wholesale partners, granting them meaningful underwriting discretion within program rules and relying on local underwriting expertise and data/analytics. Profitability, book management, and adherence to wildfire/maintenance guidelines are recurring themes.([kwspecialty.com](https://kwspecialty.com/?utm_source=openai)) - All business is on a non‑admitted basis on KW Specialty paper, so producers must follow all surplus lines procedures (including use of licensed surplus lines brokers where required) and set consumer expectations regarding non‑guaranteed renewals, fees, and lack of guaranty fund backing typical of E&S carriers. Operationally, underwriters and brokers should: prioritize well‑maintained, non‑standard or hard‑to‑place dwellings within TIV and wildfire defensible‑space parameters; confirm state eligibility and any current binding restrictions; ensure risks are surplus‑lines eligible; and submit/maintain accounts via the KWiQ portal in line with the detailed CA Homeowners Product and Underwriting Guide and any state‑specific program bulletins.